USDA Announces Trade Mitigation Funding for US Ag Exporters
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is giving $100 million to 48 trade associations and organizations in an effort to help U.S. agriculture exporters find new markets, the USDA said in a July 19 press release. Representatives from the U.S. agricultural industry have repeatedly told Congress that the U.S. trade war with China and the delay in ratifying the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement are significantly hurting U.S. exports. Some fear they will not be able to regain certain export markets in China. Others said trade mitigation programs are not the solution (see 1905290041).
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The USDA’s announcement stems from President Donald Trump’s authorization in May to provide up to $16 billion in mitigation program funds to help U.S. farmers and exporters. The $100 million in aid announced July 19 will be distributed through the Agricultural Trade Promotion Program and will be sent to certain organizations that applied for the funding, such as the American Peanut Council, the California Fresh Fruit Association, the Food Export Association of the Midwest USA and the U.S. Dairy Export Council. The USDA said it is hoping to help “farmers impacted by unjustified retaliation and trade disruption.”
“China and other nations haven’t played by the rules for a long time and President Trump is standing up to them, sending a clear message that the United States will no longer tolerate their unfair trade practices,” Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a statement. “At USDA, we are always looking to expand existing markets or open new ones and this infusion of money will do just that. American farmers are so productive that we need to continue to expand our markets wherever we can to sell the bounty of the American harvest.”